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Student newspaper of the University of Southern
1 0 weeks
( arson Palmer ami the No. 9 Trojans are sick of the byes and soon start a tough stretch of gomes / 20
▼
California
WEDNESDAY
September 20, 2000
Of interest...
Can Hillary Clinton beat the stereotypes that plague female politicians in America? / 4
News Digest 2 Roundup 3
Opinions 4 Editorial 4
'SComix 15 Classifieds 16
Crossword 17 Sports 20
vol. CXXXXI, no. 16
www.usc.edu/dt
Number of
By JEFF SKLAR
C'ont rihut itif> Writer
W hile the number of USC students who smoke has doubled in the past decade, the perceived number of smokers on campus is much higher, a recent health survey found.
Twenty-two percent of USC students claimed last spring to have smoked a cigarette in the last month, according to an American College Health Association survey of 1,(X)() USC students, which the university received in August.
A I989 survey found that only 11 percent of students had smoked in that same time period, said Paula Swinford, director of Health Promotion and Prevention Services at the Student Health Center.
However, students perceive the campus smoking rate to be much higher, responding to the survey that they believe <k) percent of students had smoked within the last month.
Although the actual percentage of smokers has doubled, Dr. I.arry Neinstein, executive director of the Student Health Center, said he is
smokers on rise
HEALTH & MEDICINE ♦
less concerned about the increase than the simple fact that nearly one-fourth of the student body smokes.
"The point is, we have a significant number (of smokers). Tobacco is one of the most addictive sub-
stances, and once you get involved, it’s hard to stop," he said.
The perception that smokers constitute a majority on campus probably contributes to the rising trend, Swinford said.
Most students want to fit in socially, and when they perceive that such a high number smoke, they also take up the habit, she said. Then, once they start, it is difficult to quit.
“Nicotine is probably the most addictive substance," Neinstein said. "Once you get involved, it’s hard to stop."
He added that he would like to see the rate drop by 40 to 50 percent and stressed the importance of programs that will help students quit.
“We need to make more resources available. USC is trying to work on a more focused smoking cessation program for the upcoming year," Neinstein said.
Student services
Jennifer Attanasio, a health educator at the Student Health Center, has looked into several options to
I see Health, page 3 I
Eat up
BBQ feast.
Members of Lamda Chi Alpha
fraternity eat
dinner outside
their house on Tuesday night.
Recreational facilities to be assessed, enhanced
Senate: Officials speaking at Tuesday night's meeting hope to improve areas on campus for student use
By LOREN CHIDONI
Sta IT Writer
To bring USC up to par with national averages for per student recreational space, Recreational Sports and Facilities officials said Tuesday they will reassess how such areas are used on campus.
"We want to make the indoor and
outdoor facilities as good as we possibly can," Dave Koch, senior associate director of recreational sports, said at the Student Senate meeting. “We are going to focus on making what we have as up-to-date as possible.”
According to studies, USC has low indoor recreation space per student Although an average of 2,500 students use the Lyon Center per day, the center was designed to manage only 1,900 users per day, Koch said.
He added they will look at the insides of the Lyon Center since physically expanding it is a more difficult “If taking space from the locker rooms will add to space in the weight room, we would consider making the
II e are going to focus on making what we have as up-to-date as
possible
♦
davf: koch,
senior associate director. Recreational Sports
change," Koch said. “By doing this we will make the best use of all available space."
The lack of recreational sports facilities compared with other schools was a main focus of his presentation Tuesday night. According studies done by Clary Miller, the associate director of campus recreation at the University of Illinois, USC is 125 square feet per student below the
national average for outdoor space. The study was based on school enrollment, showing that schools with more than 25,001 students had 131.25 square feet of outdoor space per student; schools with 15.001 to 25,(XX) students averaged 43.78 square feet per student USC — with about 28,000 students — averaged 6.3 square feet per student
I see Senate page 3
Program
addresses
student
isolation
Commuters: Commuter Activities Program hopes to build sense of community
By LOREN CHIDONI
Stall Writer
To establish a community for commuters much like the University Residential Student Community has done for students living in university housing, a division of Student Senate has created a program to specifically address commuter needs.
Because commuters are an often forgotten segment of the university, the Commuter Activities Program will try to increase communication between the university and the students, said Stephen Sohn, CAP copresident and a senior majoring in biology and creative writing.
“Commuters make up a diverse body of students,” he said. “Commuters are one of the largest constituencies on campus, and its hard to pinpoint the needs and types of programs that commuters want."
Parking on campus is one of the major issues the group hopes to address this year, as well as eliminating the city parking tax that is added to parking permit prices.
The organization also hopes to implement several programs for commuters including tutoring services, tailgates before football games and barbecues for students that attend the Health Sciences Campus.
Commuters would benefit from these programs, said Jane Poblete, a junior majoring in economics.
"If I knew more about the CAP programs I would attend," Poblete said. "It would help me bond with other people who have the same experiences — people who know
l see Commuters page 3
Randall Yeung I Daily Trojan

Student newspaper of the University of Southern
1 0 weeks
( arson Palmer ami the No. 9 Trojans are sick of the byes and soon start a tough stretch of gomes / 20
▼
California
WEDNESDAY
September 20, 2000
Of interest...
Can Hillary Clinton beat the stereotypes that plague female politicians in America? / 4
News Digest 2 Roundup 3
Opinions 4 Editorial 4
'SComix 15 Classifieds 16
Crossword 17 Sports 20
vol. CXXXXI, no. 16
www.usc.edu/dt
Number of
By JEFF SKLAR
C'ont rihut itif> Writer
W hile the number of USC students who smoke has doubled in the past decade, the perceived number of smokers on campus is much higher, a recent health survey found.
Twenty-two percent of USC students claimed last spring to have smoked a cigarette in the last month, according to an American College Health Association survey of 1,(X)() USC students, which the university received in August.
A I989 survey found that only 11 percent of students had smoked in that same time period, said Paula Swinford, director of Health Promotion and Prevention Services at the Student Health Center.
However, students perceive the campus smoking rate to be much higher, responding to the survey that they believe